


School Days

by oncertwice



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, High School AU, Kinda romcom-ish, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-23
Updated: 2015-01-23
Packaged: 2018-03-08 17:32:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3217607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oncertwice/pseuds/oncertwice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain Swan high school AU in which Killian Jones is a bad boy who sets his sights on good girl Emma Swan. He thought he'd covered all his bases, but didn't account for the possibility of falling for her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was finally here. The first day of school. But it wasn’t only that, it was the first day of Senior year, or as Killian Jones liked think of it: the beginning of the end.

He’d never really been one for school. He had always managed to barely slide by with straight C’s, a fact that made him prouder than it probably should have. It’s not that he didn’t care about school, he just felt that a proper assessment of a person’s talents should depend less on their Grade Point Average and more on their— okay, he didn’t care about school. In the slightest.

He always told himself that the only reason he went was because it was against the law not to. And even though he didn’t care about school, he wasn’t going to give the faculty and staff the satisfaction of watching him become a high-school dropout.

Killian was a pretty popular guy, in the sense that everyone knew who he was, and if (for some reason) you didn’t, there was surely somebody on standby that was eager to fill you in. Despite his mild celebrity, he didn’t have many friends. He had people that he’d talk to in the halls at school, or people from whom he could borrow a pencil, but not many people that he trusted and looked out for.

The only two people he truly cared for, Jefferson Hatrick and August Booth, had been by his side since before he could count. They were his best friends, and had been there for him through all of the hardships he’d faced in his eighteen years. His life had been anything but easy, but having friends like his made every step that much easier. In Killian’s mind, they were less like his friends, and more like his brothers.

He silenced his alarm clock and laid in his bed for a few moments before forcing himself up and into the shower. He wasn’t looking forward to going to school, but at least he knew that Jefferson and August would by his side.

He showered quickly, then went to his closet to pick his outfit for the day. He’d never really been all that picky in regards to his wardrobe, but that’s not to say that he didn’t know how to look good. He’d caught many a girl (and maybe a teacher or two) staring at him as he walked the halls, and he always made sure to show his appreciation with a cocky smile or a wink.

He never understood what it was about the girls in his school, but it seemed at he’d been on a date or two with half the girls in his grade at some point or another.

He picked out a pair of light jeans and a black and white baseball tee. He put the jeans on first, frowning slightly when he noticed a tattered slash over the right knee. He shrugged, deciding that he’d rather not look for another pair of pants, and put on his shirt.

He walked over to the mirror to see what state his hair was in. He decided not to bother, since his helmet was just gonna mess it up anyway. He walked off in search of a pair of shoes when he heard his cell phone buzz on his nightstand. He picked it up to look at the screen. He’d just received a text from Jefferson.

_Good morning, sunshine! Meet at the usual spot?_

Killian smiled and rolled his eyes as he typed back.

**Yeah, be there in twenty.**

At some point over the course of their friendship, Killian, Jefferson and August decided that a few mornings a week, they would get together to have breakfast.

It started when they were in elementary school, with their parents taking turns driving them to the restaurant and then dropping them off at school. But now that they each had their own means of transportation, they did it everyday.

After donning his favorite leather jacket and pulling on his backpack, Killian jumped into his favorite pair of boots and went downstairs. He was met in the kitchen by his father, who was sitting at the kitchen table asleep and snoring loudly, surrounded by paperwork and an open laptop.

Killian rolled his eyes and grabbed his keys and helmet before leaving through the front door. He locked the door behind him and walked over to his bike, which had been a sixteenth-birthday present from his father. He sat down on it, and put his helmet on. He started the ignition and left the driveway in the direction of Granny’s Diner.

When he got there about ten minutes later, August and Jefferson had just arrived, still sitting in August’s car.

While Killian preferred to ride his bike to school everyday, August and Jefferson took turns driving each other, alternating days.

Killian parked his bike alongside August’s car, and bent down to talk to Jefferson through the passenger side window. “How’d you two decide who was driving today?”

August looked at him with a triumphant smile, while Jefferson rolled his eyes before speaking. “He cheated at Rock-Paper-Scissors yesterday.”

August laughed as he took off his seat belt and started to get out of the car. “Hey, I resent that! You’re just bitching because I figured out your pattern.”

Jefferson closed his window and opened his door to get out. “Are you kidding me? What pattern?”

"Paper, Rock, Scissors, Rock, Scissors, Paper." August and Killian both deadpanned in unison.

"What? Is that how you guys always beat me? That’s not fair! August, I demand a redo!"

August and Killian both laughed at their friend as they walked toward the entrance of the restaurant. “Get over it, Jeff. It’s not like you aren’t gonna be driving us tomorrow.”

Jefferson huffed as he followed behind his two friends. “It’s still not fair.”

Killian shook his head as he held the door open, letting the other two walk through it. “Quit being such a baby, Jeff. You want me to buy you a doughnut?”

Jefferson’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Killian. “I’m not being a baby, Hook. Keep your doughnut.”

Part of Killian always laughed a little when they called him by that nickname. Jefferson and August were the only people he ever let use the name on him, mostly because they were the ones that made it up.

It had happened when they were freshmen in high school, and Killian just happened to have a date with two girls in the same week. He, of course, didn’t tell them about each other, but they found out anyway.

He had talked his way out of it with both girls, using lines like: “She means nothing to me.” and “I thought our relationship was stronger than this.” and “You really don’t trust me, do you?” Somehow, they’d both fallen for it, with Jefferson and August there to witness the whole thing.

Jefferson, being the idiot that he is, was astounded by his friend’s smooth talking, and decided that he and August were going to come up with the ultimate “badass nickname” for Killian. About a week later, they’d finally come up with it: “Hook, because the girls always fall for him, hook, line, and sinker.”

Killian still rolled his eyes at the “logic” behind the name, but overtime he got used to it. In fact, they only ever called him by his real name when they were angry or upset with him, which was rare. Any time other than that, it was like a foreign language to them.

They walked through the diner, and sat down in their usual booth. Killian put his helmet on the seat and slid in next to it as Jefferson and August sat across from him.

"Hook, let me trade seats with your helmet. I don’t want to have to rub elbows with this cheater."

Killian looked up from his menu and rolled his eyes. “Then, by that logic, you wouldn’t want to sit next to me either, mate.”

Jefferson folded his arms and gave August a seething glare. August sighed exasperatedly and turned to look at Jefferson. “Honestly, man. It’s not that big a deal. But if you’re gonna be such a little bitch about it, just take the rest of the week, okay?”

Jefferson raised an eyebrow and looked at August. “The _rest of the week_? Really?”

"Yes, Jeff. Tomorrow through Friday. We even now?"

Jefferson turned to his menu, trying— and failing— to mask his excitement. “Fine. I guess I could deal with that.”

August rolled his eyes as the trio was approached by Granny, the owner of the diner. Over the years that the boys had been coming into the restaurant, they had established a great rapport with her. “Morning, boys.”

The three looked up from their menus and singsonged “Morning, Granny.” in unison.

She pulled a pencil from behind her ear and took out a pad of paper from the pocket of her apron. “Don’t tell me, let me guess: chocolate chip pancakes with bacon and coffee for Killian, a western omelet with rye toast and apple juice for August, and for Jefferson, two eggs over easy with a side of home fries and orange juice. How’d I do?”

The boys looked at each other and nodded their approval, Jefferson giving the old woman a thumbs-up.

"Granny, I don’t know how you do it." August said, honestly intrigued.

"You boys order the same thing every Monday. If I didn’t know that after all the years you’ve been coming here, I’d need to have my head examined." The boys laughed at Granny’s dry wit as she finished writing down their orders and took their menus.

"Granny, what would we do without you?" Killian asked, smiling sweetly at her.

"You’d probably starve." She looked at them once more before turning around. "To say the least."

The boys ate their breakfast and chatted among themselves. They compared their schedules and were ecstatic that they had both lunch and English class together. They talked about their prospects for the new school year, and the things they’d like to do, or see done.

Well, that’s what Jefferson and August talked about. Killian just drifted in and out of the conversation, responding if either of them asked him a question, but mostly just nodding along as his friends talked back and forth.

After they’d finished eating, they payed their checks and rose from the table, heading to their respective vehicles. Killian put on his helmet, sliding the visor up as he called out to his friends. “See you at school, boys.”

Killian peeled out of the parking lot and rode off in the direction of the high school. He’d arrived there less than ten minutes later, and parked his bike in his spot, which was a few rows behind August’s.

He walked up to the car and opened the rear door. He usually kept his helmet in August’s back seat since it was too big for his locker. Today, he decided to sit with his friends since they had a few minutes before they had to be inside. “How’d you guys beat me here?”

August shook his head and looked at Killian in the rear-view mirror. “Despite what you believe, that motorcycle of yours is not exactly the fastest vessel in the universe.”

Killian covered his ears with his hands, blocking out August’s scathing assessment of his baby. “La, la, la, la, la, I can’t hear you!”

Jefferson pulled Killian’s hands away from his ears, laughing at Killian’s childishness. “Chill out, Hook. He knew that beating you here would freak you out, so he took the back roads.”

August smiled at Killian in the mirror again. “No traffic.”

Killian scowled at August and narrowed his eyes. “I hate you.”

Jefferson and August laughed as Killian shifted his gaze to the clock in August’s dash. “Holy shit, guys, it’s 7:45! Homeroom starts in five minutes!”

They all three shared a panicked look before leaping from the car and running toward the school building. August locked the car over his shoulder, hearing it beep twice as he jogged behind his friends.

Killian started speaking frantically as they ran, “Shitshitshit, I can _not_ be late on the first day of school! My dad will kill me!”

August huffed at Killian. “ _Your_ dad? Please! What’s he gonna do? Talk you to death? If I’m late my dad is going to lecture me in Italian for fifty fucking hours. I can’t handle that again.”

Jefferson laughed at August. “That’s not even a problem, dude. Maybe if you’d listened, you’d actually be able to speak it by now.”

Killian laughed at that, as August tried to trip Jefferson from behind. “Easy for you to say, Mr. I-Never-Get-In-Trouble-‘Cause-My-Parents-Let-Me-Do-Whatever-I-Want.” The toe of August’s boot grazed the back of Jefferson’s sneaker, causing Jefferson to falter slightly.

"Hey, no fair, August! Cut it out!" Jefferson whined as he broke into a sprint, leaving August and Killian in the dust.

They made it into the main lobby of the school and set off for their respective homerooms. Killian and Jefferson were headed for the same hallway, but August’s homeroom was nearly on the other side of the school.

"Have a nice run, Auggie!" Jefferson called as August sprinted ahead of them. Instead of replying, he held his middle finger up at Jefferson as he turned the corner.

Killian and Jefferson laughed as they approached their homerooms, which where across the hall from each other. When Killian finally got into his homeroom, he threw himself down in his desk, trying desperately to catch his breath. They would definitely be leaving home earlier tomorrow.

When it finally came time for lunch, Killian met Jefferson and August outside of the cafeteria and they walked outside together to eat lunch in the courtyard. They ate and talked about how their days had gone so far, all three glad to say that they’d finally reached the halfway point.

After lunch, the three of them walked to English class together and picked three desks in the back of the room. The rest of the class filed in, filling the open seats and waiting for the teacher to address them.

After a few minutes, a middle-aged man with a cane walked into the classroom, and turned his back to the class so that he could write his name on the board. His handwriting was plain but neat as he drew a line under the name he’d written. _Mr. Gold._

"Good afternoon, class. My name," he turned and pointed to the board, "is Mr. Gold, and this is twelfth grade English." He moved to stand in front of his desk, and leaned against it as he spoke. "I live here in town with my wife Belle and our son, Baelfire. I’ve been teaching for fifteen years, and I hope that you all will enjoy this class as much as I enjoy teaching it." He picked up a stack of papers from his desk and handed them out before returning to his spot.

He opened his mouth to speak again when the door to the classroom opened, and a lithe girl with long blonde hair walked through it, looking for an open desk. She handed Mr. Gold a note and took a desk a few seats over from Killian.

Mr. Gold watched her sit before he spoke again. “How nice of you to join us, Miss…” He squinted at the note, trying to read its message “Swan. Now, before anybody else can interrupt me, the paper I’ve just handed out is the syllabus for this class. Read it, then take it home and have your parents sign it. I want to have them all back by Wednesday. Now, I’m going to give you all the rest of class to talk amongst yourselves. Just don’t get too loud.”

Killian turned his head to Jefferson and August. “Hey, who’s that?” He motioned his head in the blonde girl’s direction.

Jefferson and August shared an incredulous look before August answered him. “Are you serious, Hook? That’s Emma Swan. She’s been going to school with us forever.”

Killian looked at the girl again. She was chatting with two brunettes, one with long hair, the other with a pixie cut. He shrugged and turned back to his friends. “I swear, I’ve never seen her before.”

Jefferson shook his head. “That’s because she’s not your type. Or, should I say, you’re not her type.”

Killian raised an eyebrow at his friend and gave him a cocky smirk. “Not her type? Come on, Jeff. Killian Jones is everybody’s type.”

August cut in next. “Actually, Hook, I’d have to side with Jeff on this one. She’s not into guys like you. The whole motorcycle-riding-cigarette-smoking bad boy is probably the opposite of what she’d look for.”

"Oh, really now? Well, given enough time, I’m sure any girl could be persuaded."

Jefferson raised an eyebrow. “Really? How much time we talking? Days? Weeks? Months?”

August looked back and forth between his two friends. He could see the gears turning in their heads and knew something bad was about to happen. “Hold on, guys. Where’s this headed?”

Killian looked at August. “Well, it sounds as if our dear friend was about to offer me a wager.”

August shook his head. “Oh, no. No more wagers between you two. I’m still recovering from the last one.”

Jefferson gave August an exasperated look. “Oh, quit bitching, August. You don’t even have to be involved this time.” He shifted his gaze to his other friend. “Hook, do you really feel confident that you could get Emma to go out with you?”

Killian’s eyes narrowed as he answered Jefferson slowly. “Yes, I think that I could.”

August interrupted again. “Ask her out? That’s all you’re gonna make him do? That’s way to easy for him, Jeff.”

Jefferson considered August’s words for a second and spoke up again. “You’re right, man. Okay, Hook. I am betting that you couldn’t get Emma to go to the prom with you.”

Killian gave Jefferson and incredulous look. “The prom? Are you kidding me? That’s like… _eight_ months away!”

Jefferson smiled deviously. “Exactly. That’s how sure I am that you’re going to fail. You can take as many tries as you need to between now and then, but if the prom comes and she’s not going with you, then I win.”

August looked at them both. “Now that sounds like a worthy bet. What are the stakes?”

Jefferson thought for a moment or two before his eyes lit up. “If I win, I’ll just get the satisfaction of knowing that there is at least one sane girl on earth that can resist the so-called charm of Killian Jones.”

Killian rolled his eyes. “Okay then… What if I win?”

"What do you want?"

"I don’t know Jeff, but I’m sure I’ll think of something." Killian turned to look at the girl again.

_Emma._

He was gonna have to remember that if he had any chance of winning this thing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter starts on the first day of school, from Emma's perspective.

Emma awoke to a loud, frantic pounding on her bedroom door. She groaned desperately as she pulled the covers over her head and tried to go back to sleep. She was definitely not a morning person.   
  
"Rise and shine, Buttercup!" Pound, pound, pound. "Don't think you can fool me into believing that you're asleep!" Pound, pound, pound. "Come on, Emma."   
  
Emma reached her hand out from under her blankets to her nightstand, feeling around for her glasses. Once she had them in her hand, she put them sloppily on her face and threw the blankets off. "Okay, dammit. I'm up. That's enough excitement for one morning, Ruby." She trudged over to her bedroom door, adjusting her glasses on her ears. When she opened the door she was greeted by Ruby Lucas, her best friend, jumping up and down excitedly in her pajamas.   
  
"What do you want?" Ruby gave Emma a look that was somehow cheerful and exasperated at the same time. "Oh, like you don't know! Move aside, let me help you pick out your first-day-of-school outfit!" Emma was nearly knocked to the ground as Ruby pushed past her, making a beeline for the closet.   
  
"My what?" Emma had to think for a second before her mind started to defog. She walked over to her cell phone to check the date. "Oh shit, today is the first day of school." Ruby laughed as she pulled out a shirt, looked at its front and back, then returned it to where she'd found it. "Of course it is, Em! Don't act like you forgot."   
  
"I wasn't acting, Ruby." Emma said blandly as she joined Ruby in her closet. If you were to judge how much Emma liked school based on her report card, you'd probably guess that she loved it more than anything, air included. She always got straight A's and always did extra credit. She never missed an assignment or a project, and she'd never gotten an F. On anything. Not that it mattered that much to her, it was just something that she'd taught herself from a young age. Academically, she was a model student. Socially, she was no different. Everyone at school knew and loved Emma Swan, from the kids in her grade, to the faculty and staff. She was arguably the most popular girl in school. She had a lot of friends, but she didn't really trust or talk to any of them outside of school, aside from Ruby, Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan. The four of them had been inseparable since elementary school.   
  
Emma liked to think that she loved all of her friends equally, but she knew that if she were being honest, she would have to admit that Ruby's place in her heart was just a hair bigger than Mary Margaret's and David's. Maybe it was because she'd met Ruby first. Maybe it was because they lived together. Maybe it was because Ruby had seen Emma at her highest and lowest, and always stayed by her side. She could never really pinpoint an exact reason.   
  
"Why are you picking out my clothes anyway? Don't you have your own outfit to worry about?" Ruby laughed as she turned to her friend. "That's not a serious question, is it? I had my outfit picked like, a week ago." Emma didn't doubt it. Ruby was the kind of girl who believed that people judged you on your clothes before anything else. Mostly because that was how she judged people. Fashion was a really big deal to her, and whenever she and Emma were going anywhere important, she always made sure that Emma's outfit was up to par.   
  
"Here." She held out a black miniskirt and a long-sleeved white chiffon top. "What do you think about this?" Emma took the outfit from Ruby's hands. "This? Are you sure?" Ruby rolled her eyes. "Yes, Emma, I'm sure. That skirt does magical things for your legs, and the top should balance out any slutty overtones." Emma chuckled softly at Ruby's choice of words. "Slutty overtones, huh? Well, if you think it'll look good..."   
  
"I do! Now, go shower and get ready before we run outta time!"   
  
Ruby practically skipped back to her room as Emma went off to the shower. After about ten minutes, Emma was back in her room, blow drying her hair. Once she'd brushed out any tangles, she used her barrel iron to give her hair just the right about of curl. She finished, and ran her fingers through it to even out the waves. "Man, am I having a great hair day or what?"She asked herself with a smile as she left the mirror to put on the outfit Ruby had selected. She went back to her mirror and looked at herself. She fixed the collar on her shirt, and looked closely to make sure that she hadn't buttoned it wrong. Then she pulled the skirt down to her knees, not really wanting to show that much skin. When she was certain that she could fix nothing else, she went back to the bathroom to put in her contacts. She only wore her glasses when she was just waking up or getting ready for bed. She always made sure that they stayed behind when she left the house, and that nobody saw her when she was wearing them, except for her closest friends. Once her contacts were in she went to Ruby's room, not bothering to knock as she walked in.   
  
"Hey, you wanna do my eyeliner for me? I can never get it right, and—" Emma lost her train of thought as she looked at Ruby's ensemble. "Wow, Ruby, you look great!" Ruby smiled appreciatively and did a little twirl, the floral dress she wore fanning out as she did so. "You think? I've been saving this dress forever." Ruby walked over to Emma and looked her up and down. "You look hot, Em. And your hair looks amazing!" She motioned for Emma to sit on her bed. "Did you bring your eyeliner?"   
  
Emma sat on the bed and handed her eyeliner to Ruby. "Here you go." Ruby took it from her hands and leaned in close, resting the heel of her hand on Emma's cheek. "Hold still, Emma. I don't want to jab you in the eye again." Emma tried not to laugh. "Okay. I'm not sure about this skirt, though, Ruby. It makes me feel... overdressed." Emma lied, rationalizing that admitting to Ruby how strange the skirt made her feel would only cause Ruby to force her into wearing it. Ruby shook her head, although Emma couldn't see it. "Okay, then. What did you have in mind as a replacement?" Emma could hear the sass in Ruby's voice as she replied. "I was thinking I could just wear a pair of jeans." Ruby finished with Emma's makeup, and Emma went to the mirror to look at her friend's handiwork. She smiled to herself as she admired the winged effect that Ruby was so great at. "Thanks, it looks great!"   
  
Emma took her eyeliner from Ruby and hustled back to her room so that she could change into her jeans. Once she pulled up the zipper, she felt ten times more comfortable. It really wasn't such a bad trade-off; her legs may have been covered up, but the jeans made her ass look fantastic. She walked over to her closet and put on her favorite red leather jacket and a pair of black ankle boots. She looked at herself in the mirror one more time, satisfied with the final product.   
  
Instead of going back to Ruby's room, she decided to wait downstairs. "Ruby, I'm ready, and David's gonna be here any minute!" She called once she'd reached the bottom. She searched the kitchen for her backpack, and found it on the counter, with a note attached.   
_   
"Have a great first day of Senior year, girls. I'm so proud of you both. Love, Granny."   
_   
Emma smiled to herself as she heard Ruby approaching. "What's that?" Emma handed her the slip of paper so that she could read it for herself. "Granny left us a note." Ruby read it and smiled, her reaction identical to Emma's. She turned and stuck the note to the fridge under a magnet before she grabbed her backpack and followed Emma to the door. They walked outside and decided to sit on the curb while they waited for David to arrive. Emma sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, while Ruby sat with her legs outstretched in front of her, crossed at the ankles.   
  
"So, Em. You looking forward a new school year?" Emma groaned as she turned to look at Ruby. "No, not really. I found out the other day that he has been asking people about me." Ruby's eyes widened. "Has he really? I'm sorry, Em. Try not to think about it. And, if you need us, you'll always have Mary Margaret and me there to distract you." She reached out and squeezed Emma's shoulder. The he of whom they were speaking was none other than Graham Humbert. Emma had had the hugest crush on him for years, and when he finally asked her out at the beginning of Sophomore year, Emma was beyond ecstatic. They dated from then until midway through Junior year, when he started to distance himself. He gave her his reasons, saying that he felt stifled by her, that he just wanted to take a break; he only needed room to breathe. It probably shouldn't have hurt as much as it did, but she thought that everything was going great. She felt totally blindsided by his confession, but let him distance himself. It was only gonna be for a little while, right? Wrong. After a few days, they met up so that he could tell her that this was less of a 'break,' and more of a 'breakup.'   
  
It took a few weeks before she could even face him again. She would always see him flirting with other girls, and it hurt her, at first. Emma couldn't understand how he could go from loving her one minute, to hanging out with some other girl the next day, then hooking up with other girls the next week. She had never confronted him about it, but she knew that he was having sex with other girls. And that made her sad, but also really angry. She knew that the reason he felt so "stifled" by her was because he wanted to be able to hook up with whomever he wanted, and that was his excuse. Graham had been her first, and she'd guessed that he wasn't ready for the emotional attachment that came along with that bond.   
  
However, she eventually started getting texts from him, and sometimes she'd catch him looking at her in the halls. He would find bogus excuses to talk to her, or go out of his way just to run into her. She knew what he was trying to do, and she didn't want to fall for it. But she missed him, and she missed being with him. Before she even realized it, they were dating again, and she felt on top of the world. They were together all the time, in school, after school, sometimes even the in morning before school. Totally inseparable. That is, until last July, when she felt the same distance between them begin to resurface. She feared that they were headed down the same road, so before he could break her heart again, she decided to end it. Emma broke up with him and he didn't put up a fight. That surprised her, but she never told him how much it hurt that he just let her go.   
  
Deep down, she just hadn't been able to get over their breaking up the first time, and she carried that hurt with her into their relationship once they'd gotten back together. If she were being completely honest, it still hurt to think about it. But when she broke up with him, she promised him that they would always be friends. Brilliant idea. Especially since he was intent on actually being her friend. They'd even hung out a few times over the summer just so that he could further illustrate his point. Some days she just couldn't take it. Part of her still loved Graham, but the rest of her was still wary and cautious when it came to him. Even though he never told her so, she was certain that he still loved her. That, is what made her wary and cautious.   
  
After a few more minutes of waiting, David finally arrived. He stopped his car directly in front of the two girls, who immediately jumped up and into the car, Emma in the passenger side, Ruby in the rear behind David. "Good morning, Emma. How are we this fine September day?" David singsonged as soon as she'd opened the door. Emma rolled her eyes as she clicked her seat belt. "Gag me." He chuckled and shook his head. "Sometimes I don't know why I bother." He turned his attention to Ruby. "How about you, Ruby? You look beautiful, by the way." Ruby beamed as she settled into her seat. "Thank you, David, charming as ever." He smiled as he pulled away from the curb.   
  
They drove off in the direction of Mary Margaret's house, and she jumped in beside Ruby when they arrived. "Good morning, everybody!" Mary Margaret chirped as she leaned forward to give David a kiss before putting on her seat belt. It was slightly awkward due to their seating arrangements, but they made it work. The ride to school was uneventful, Mary Margaret and Ruby chatting happily the rear while Emma and David joked back and forth in the front. When they pulled into the school parking lot, David found his space and parked. The four of them took off their seat belts and exited the car. They each closed their doors, and Mary Margaret rounded the car to stand by David's side. He hugged her tightly and kissed her on the top of her head. "You ready?" He looked at the other two girls, who nodded. "Then let's do it." The group made their way into the school building, David and Mary Margaret holding hands, while Ruby locked her arm with Emma's.   
  
Once they were in the main lobby of the school, the two subgroups separated, catching up with friends they hadn't seen since June, and trying to stay out of the way as people milled about around them. Emma had let go of Ruby and was talking to a really nice girl named Kathryn when a familiar voice came up from behind her. "Hey, Emma." She swallowed thickly and plastered a smile on her face before turning around. And there he was. The same shaggy hair, the same boyish smile, and the same alluring stubble that she hadn't seen in weeks. "Hey, Graham."   
  
"You look... great." He said, somewhat breathlessly, as they turned to walk down the hall. Emma self-consciously tucked her bangs behind her ear. "Thanks, Graham. You too." He smiled, and the conversation stopped for a moment before he stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "Listen, Emma. I really need to talk to you." She sighed. This was a conversation that she had been dreading since they'd broken up. "What is it, Graham?" He leveled his shoulders and cleared his throat before he spoke. "I think... I think we should get back together." His voice was so uncertain that it almost sounded like he was asking her a question.   
  
"Okay. Thanks for letting me know." She pushed past him and took only a few steps before she felt his hand around her wrist. "Wait, Emma. Is that all you have to say?"   
  
She turned to face him again, trying her best to keep the tone in her voice nonchalant and uninterested as she yanked her hand out of his grip. "Yes, Graham. I believe it is." She turned away again, only instead of trying to stop her, he walked alongside her. "Emma, you have to hear me out." This time she was the one that grabbed him by the wrist, leading him over to a quiet byway where they wouldn't be stopping traffic. "You don't get to tell me what I have to do. You gave up that right when you left me. Twice. You must believe I'm an idiot if you think I'm going to stand around and be bested by you for the third time, Graham."   
  
Graham knitted his brow, and Emma could feel an outburst coming on. "Bested? What, is this some kind of game to you, Emma? Do you think that I'm trying to play with you or something?"   
  
"It seems that way, Graham. Honestly, are you keeping track of how many times I can let you in and get my heart broken before I completely self-destruct?"   
  
A look of hurt crossed Graham's face, softening his expression, but only slightly dulling the anger in his voice. "It sounds like you need reminding that you were the one that broke up with me, remember?"   
  
She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, Graham, I did. But you didn't have to go. You practically leapt at the opportunity. You saw your way out, and you took it. Or do I need reminding about that, too?"   
  
He reached for her hand. "Emma, I love you."   
  
Emma took a step away from him and jerked her hand away from his. She could feel a lump forming in her throat and she did not want to cry right now. "I don't enjoy being toyed with, Graham. I'm not your plaything, and I don't want you to stand here and say those words to me, thinking that I'm automatically going to forget all the ways that you've hurt me. I can't do that."   
  
Graham sighed and took her right hand in both of his. "Please, Emma. I don't want to fight. I miss you so much. I know that we're supposed to be friends or whatever, but I can't be your friend. I've thought about you every day that we've been apart, and I can't believe how big an idiot I was to let you go."   
  
"Twice."   
  
He smiled ruefully. "Yes, twice." He stepped closer to her and put his hands on her hips. "Please forgive me, Emma. I love you, and I just want to know that you still feel something for me. Anything." She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Of course I do, Graham. I just don't want to regret giving you another chance."   
  
He closed his eyes and touched his forehead to hers, his voice barely above a whisper as he spoke. "I'll do anything."   
  
"Meet me in the library before tenth period. I won't promise you anything, but we do need to talk. And don't be late." Emma stepped out of his embrace and turned to find her friends. She was stopped by his hand on her shoulder, turning her around and surprising her with a kiss on the lips. Graham pulled her closer and put his hands on either side of her face. In that moment, Emma felt everything. How much she'd missed being held by him. How much she'd missed being kissed by him. How much she'd missed him. He broke the kiss, resting his forehead on hers once more. Emma could hear the surprise in her voice when she opened her mouth. "What was that?"   
  
He smiled as he started to walk backwards away from her. "Just a little something to think about." He turned and rounded a corner just as Ruby came running up to her from behind. "There you are, Emma! Was that Graham I just saw?" All Emma could do was nod as she let Ruby lead her around the corner to where David and Mary Margaret were waiting for them. When they approached the couple, David left Mary Margaret's side to put one of his arms around Emma's shoulders, and the other around Ruby's. "I'll see you girls later, I'm gonna walk Mary Margaret to homeroom." Both girls smiled as David hugged them and walked back to Mary Margaret, putting his arm around her waist as they walked away.   
  
Once they'd turned a corner, Emma looked over to see that Ruby was staring at her, clearly waiting for Emma to say something, so she did. "Walk me to my locker?" Ruby sighed. "Okay, then. What'd Graham want?" Emma winced when she heard the question and she prolonged the silence for the few moments it took them to find her locker. She turned the dial, entering her combination and opening it after a few attempts. She shrugged off her jacket and hung it on one of the hooks, then opened her backpack to put a few of her heavier books in the locker until they were needed.   
  
Ruby put her hands on her hips and began to tap her foot impatiently. "Emma, I'm waiting."   
  
Emma slammed her locker shut and walked down the hall in the direction from which they'd come. "He told me he wants to get back together." She avoided Ruby's eyes, knowing that whatever Ruby felt about the idea, good or bad, was going to be reflected in them. After a few moments of unbearable silence, Emma looked at her friend, to see her eyes flickering with excitement.   
  
"You're happy about this?"   
  
"Of course I am, Emma! I know that he's done some... less-than-gentlemanly things to you in the past, but we all know how much you guys have missed each other. What did you say? Are you gonna get back together?"   
  
Emma thought about Ruby's words for a minute, and she couldn't deny that they were true. Graham had broken Emma's heart before, but she always missed him, and hadn't been feeling like herself since they'd broken up. She chewed on her bottom lip before looking back to Ruby.   
  
"What would you do if it were you and Victor?"   
  
Ruby cocked her head to the side as she considered the question. She started dating Victor Whale around the same time that Emma started dating Graham. They had been together ever since. Emma was surprised when Ruby first told her that Victor had asked her out, as he was decidedly not Ruby's type. Outwardly, he was very studious, reserved, and somewhat shy. He got grades just as good as Emma's, and she heard that he wanted to study medicine. Ruby had only taken the date as a courtesy, wanting to let him down gently. But the Victor that she met with outside of school was like a completely different person. He was charming, charismatic, and sweet, and Ruby liked to think that she fell in love with him before he even brought her home that night. Emma thought that they could definitely give David and Mary Margaret a run for their money in a competition for the title of 'Most Perfect Couple.' David and Mary Margaret were the kind of couple that people respected. Not only for their devotion to one another, but for the sheer longevity of their relationship. The had loved each other since they were thirteen and were still going strong five years later. Where David and Mary Margaret were almost exactly alike, Ruby and Victor were like polar opposites. She was chatty, and wild, and constantly giddy. He was sort of cautious and old-fashioned, and he balanced her out perfectly. Emma had always admired both relationships and wished that she could find something like that.   
  
Ruby sighed. "If Victor and I were in the same position as you and Graham?" She shook her head. "I don't know. But I'm pretty sure that even if he broke my heart into a million pieces, I'd forgive him every time." Emma looked at her, and considered her words. "Besides," Ruby began "Why would you pass up an opportunity to be happy again? Even if it's only for a little while."

 

 

* * *

  
  
When it came time for Emma to meet Graham in the library, her stomach was doing somersaults. She couldn't shake the nervous feeling that she had in her gut and she knew that it was because of the words that she'd had stowed away in her head since they'd spoken that morning. She entered the library, and looked around. She didn't see him anywhere. Emma sat in an empty chair, deciding to wait for him since she had four minutes until the start of tenth period. She had been waiting for two minutes when he finally showed up. She rose as he approached her, holding her hand up in front of her to stop him from speaking before she could.   
  
"I've been waiting a little while, but that's fine. I only have two minutes before I have to get to my next class, so I'm going to keep this short."   
  
Graham's face looked a little puzzled, but he nodded for her to continue, knitting his brow. "Go on."   
  
Emma sighed and tucked her bangs behind her ear. "It wouldn't be right for us to get back together until we air out our grievances. When you broke up with me, I was devastated, Graham. You broke my heart. You had every piece of me, and it was like you knew me inside and out. That kind of rejection is hard to recover from. Especially when you aren't expecting it."   
  
His expression softened, the corners of his mouth turning slightly downward.   
  
She couldn't look him in the eye, so instead she focused her gaze on a point just over his shoulder. "And then to hear all the rumors about the girls that you were hanging out and hooking up with? That was almost too much." She fixed her eyes on his once more, her sadness giving way to rage. "It wasn't fair. If you weren't happy with me, you should have told me, not pretended that you suddenly needed space, or some other bullshit excuse in a half-assed attempt at sparing my feelings. I would never have done that to you. I would never have lied to you like that, or made you feel self-conscious or inadequate. I loved you, Graham. Maybe I still do, but I don't know if I can let you hurt me like that again."   
  
Graham sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck with an open hand. "Emma, I—" He was interrupted when the bell rang, which told Emma that she was officially late.   
  
Emma sighed. She didn't want to be late to any of her classes, especially not on the first day. "I guess we'll continue this later." She turned to leave the library, walking over to the information desk to ask the librarian for a pass to her next class. The librarian, who knew and liked Emma, smiled as she scribbled out an excuse on a piece of scrap paper.   
  
Emma left the library, trying to make sense of the maelstrom of emotions that she was feeling. She found her English classroom, and winced when she saw that class was already well underway. She held her breath as she opened the door. The teacher stopped talking immediately, and she felt thirty pairs of eyes staring at her. Emma kept calm and handed the teacher her note, nodding politely as she found Ruby and Mary Margaret in the sea of faces. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her friends had saved her a seat, groaning inwardly as she heard the teacher comment sarcastically on her tardiness before addressing the class again.   
  
"Now, before anybody else can interrupt me, the paper I've just handed out is the syllabus for this class. Read it, then take it home and have your parents sign it. I want to have them all back by Wednesday. Now, I'm going to give you all the rest of class to talk amongst yourselves. Just don't get too loud."   
  
Emma felt a tap on her shoulder and Ruby handed her a copy of the syllabus. "Here, I grabbed two."   
  
Emma smiled appreciatively at her friend before folding the paper up and putting it in her backpack. After she'd settled into her seat again, she turned to see her friends staring at her with wide, expectant eyes. Mary Margaret spoke first. "So, Emma. A little birdie told me that you were talking to a certain ex-boyfriend of yours today." Emma groaned and looked at Ruby, who was smiling innocently. "Oh, come on, Emma! You know I had to tell Mary Margaret!" Honestly, Emma wasn't even angry at Ruby, she just didn't feel like discussing Graham any further.   
  
"Yes, Mary Margaret, I was." Mary Margaret smiled brightly and reached for Emma's hand. As much as Emma pretended otherwise, she loved that she had such meddling friends. It was nice to know that they were there for her when she had a problem, even if she didn't always want to talk about it. "Emma, you've probably already heard his from Ruby, but I just want you to be happy. Even though you and Graham have had your ups and downs, we all know that you two were happy together. So, did you give him an answer?"   
  
Emma shook her head. "Nope. Got interrupted by the bell." Mary Margaret made a 'tsk' sound and leaned back in her chair. "Well, don't worry about it. You'll get there." Emma smiled at her friend's reassuring words. "Thanks, Mary Margaret."   
  
Ruby leaned in close to her friends, her voice low and even as she spoke. "Okay, do not look now, but..." Emma stiffened as she looked at Ruby. "But what?"   
  
Ruby shushed Emma and pulled her just a hair closer. "Is it just me, or is Killian Jones trying to burn a hole in the back of your head right now?"   
  
Emma made a confused face and looked at Mary Margaret, who was looking beyond Emma to the back of the room. "Yup, he's definitely staring. Wonder why."   
  
Emma shook her head. Why did it matter? Killian Jones was the epitome of everything in which Emma was decidedly not interested. She had never actually met him, but when she used to work for Granny at the diner, she'd sometimes see him and his friends there if she worked a morning shift. They'd also been going to school together for years, so she knew enough about him to know what he was about. He was the type of guy that had girls of all ages swooning and fawning over him. He was a womanizer with an attitude problem; the type to lure you in with false romanticism then leave you hanging if you were unfortunate enough to fall for it. She'd heard a handful of stories like that about him in the past year alone, and she was not interested. However, Killian did have one thing going for him, though Emma would never admit it to anyone: he was _unnecessarily_ attractive. Like, fifty-on-a-scale-of-one-to-ten attractive. Emma guessed that some people just get lucky in that respect, and she was sure that he 'got lucky' a lot.   
  
Ruby's voice brought her out of her reverie. "Ooh, Emma, maybe he's got a secret crush on you!" Emma rolled her eyes and laughed dryly. "Yup, I'll bet he does. He could have any girl in the tri-state area, but for whatever reason, he's set his sights on me. Very likely, Ruby." She made a short sound of disgust. "He's not my type anyway. And I have a boyfriend. Kind of. Almost." She sighed as her friends laughed at her flustered expression.   
  
The three girls chatted amongst themselves while the rest of class went by. When the bell rang, all three rose from their seats and made their way toward the door. This was their last class of the day. Now, all they had to do was find David and go home.   
  
But, of course, life could never be that easy. Before the trio had even taken three steps down the hall, she heard her name being called. "Hey, Swan." Oh, god. Please no. She turned around to see Killian Jones looking at her somewhat expectantly. He was flanked on either side by his only friends (that she knew of), August Booth and Jefferson Hatrick.   
  
She folded her arms across her chest and stared at the three boys. "Can I help you?"   
  
His smile was saccharine and artificial as he stalked closer to her, his friends staying behind. "Why, yes. You can."   
  
The familiar tone in his voice made her skin crawl, but she was momentarily distracted by his eyes. Did that shade of blue even occur naturally? She maintained her poker face, though, and raised an impatient eyebrow at him. "Then I suggest you get on with it. I'd like to make it home at some point in the not-too-distant future."   
  
His sickly-sweet smile changed into something that she could only describe as feral. He raised an eyebrow at her and stopped only when the toes of their shoes were touching. She was totally uncomfortable with his proximity, and the growing attention that they were attracting from passersby was not helping. Emma gave the small crowd a pointed look, and they all dispersed. "It has been brought to my attention that we have never been properly introduced. I figured that since we now share a classroom, there was no time like the present to remedy that situation. My name is Killian Jones. And you, are Emma Swan."   
  
Emma wanted to roll her eyes at him, but she didn't. Did he think that he was fooling her with this phony 'Getting To Know You' bit? "Great. Nice to meet you. See you around." She turned away from him to see where her friends had gone. She felt his hand on her shoulder, and he turned her back around to face him again.   
  
"Now, now, Swan. It's impolite to be so dismissive. I was merely trying to make friends with you."   
  
Emma's expression remained blank as she blinked her eyes at him. "I've got enough friends, but thanks for the offer." He opened his mouth but before he spoke, his eyes flicked over her shoulder, then back to her before they locked on whatever it was that he saw over her shoulder. He took a minimal step back and she cocked her head to the side. "Something wrong, Jones?"   
  
Her question was answered when she felt a protective arm come around her shoulders. "There you are, Emma. We've been looking for you." She recognized his voice, and looked at David as he stood next to her, staring Killian down. Killian had been right to be wary. David was not one to be messed with, especially since he was captain of the football team and could almost bench press his own body weight. His hand gripped her shoulder tightly as he nodded at Killian.   
  
"How are you, Killian? Keeping busy these days, I hear." Killian nodded back and his overly polite smile returned. "Oh, yes. Quite busy indeed. But never too busy for a little fun." He raised an eyebrow then winked at Emma, which made David's grip on her shoulder even tighter. "Alright, that's enough." David said, stepping in front of Emma, as if his body could block the implication in Killian's words. "If you think I'm gonna let you anywhere near Emma, you've got another thing coming, pal." Emma was not at all surprised by David's words. He had always loved and protected her like a brother since they were kids. Sometimes she loved him for it, other times, not so much. Killian snorted and took a step toward David. "Oh, is that right? Even if you decide I'm not worthy of Her Highness' company, I have ways of getting around the likes of you, Dave." Killian had lit the fuse, and Emma could probably count down the seconds until David exploded. "Oftentimes it's only a matter of waiting until a girl comes to me."   
  
_ Tick, tick, tick.   
_   
"You know how it is. A girl can only take so much of the same old mundanity before she's begging for something new, something exciting." This time, he looked over David's shoulder to wink at Mary Margaret, who instantly recoiled in disgust. "Isn't that right, sweetheart?"   
_   
Kaboom.   
_   
David lunged at Killian, gripping him by the collar. Emma had her hands on his waist trying to pull him back while Jefferson and August were both trying to pry his hands off of Killian's shirt. "David! David, stop it! He's not worth it!" Emma begged as she tried to pull him with all of her might. He was incredibly strong, and that fact was not lost on her as they all struggled to free Killian from David's iron grip. "David." She groaned. "It's the first day of school, for fuck's sake! Let him go!" Mary Margaret ran into the fray next, putting her hand on David's shoulder and speaking to him in a calm and authoritative tone. "David, stop! Emma's right: he's not worth it. Let him go, for me."   
  
And that was all it took. David hesitantly released Killian's shirt, but pushed him forcefully as he let go, causing Killian to fall back, only to be caught by his friends. "Stay away from Emma."   
  
The group of four turned away and walked down the hall, heading toward the closest exit. Once they were safely in front of David's car, Emma could no longer hold her tongue. "Are you serious, David? Are you fucking kidding me? You had no reason to interfere back there! And then damn near strangling the guy because he made a _joke_?" She laughed mirthlessly and pulled her bangs behind her ear. "I honestly cannot believe you sometimes."   
  
David's rage had not completely subsided, and Emma could tell that he was trying to keep his composure. After all, his anger was not directed at her. "Emma, I care about you— I love you. You and Ruby are the closest thing I have to sisters and I would do whatever it takes to keep you guys from getting hurt. Don't act like you don't know the kind of guy that he is. Getting involved with him would mean only one thing for you, Emma. And that is disaster."   
  
She huffed at him exasperatedly. "Oh, give me a break. What makes you think that I couldn't handle myself? I love you, David, but sometimes you just—" She made a frustrated sound, something that came out sounding like both a groan and a growl. She raised her hands to her temples, in an attempt to ward off the headache she could feel was on the horizon. "Thank you, David. I really mean that, but next time you see me talking to a boy— Killian Jones or otherwise— keep your distance. This is the last time I'm gonna warn you about this, David. I'm over it."   
  
David's breathing had finally slowed to its normal rate as he raked his hand through his hair and looked at her. "I don't know if I can promise that, Emma. Especially not if I catch you talking to him again." She groaned and wished, just this once, that David could act like any normal friend would and back off. "God, David. Why do you have to be so frustrating?" She yelled at him, shoving him in the chest.   
  
Mary Margaret, who always took it upon herself to be the mediator, spoke up next. "Alright, you two. That's enough. It's been a long day for all of us, and I think we ought to just leave this alone now.   
  
David looked at Mary Margaret before returning his focus to Emma. "I can't. I can't leave it alone anymore. Emma, you have to realize that when it comes to the opposite sex, you can never make the right decision."   
  
Emma's eyes widened and her nostrils flared at David's accusation. "Cut the shit, David. We all know that you'll jump at any opportunity you get to meddle in my life."   
  
Mary Margaret, sensing the building tension, tried to warn them again. "Guys, seriously. This is hardly the time or place for this discussion. Let's drop it." She looked at Ruby, silently urging her to say something. "Uh, Mary Margaret's right, guys. We should probably just go home now." Mary Margaret and Ruby shared a nervous look; they both knew where this was headed.   
  
David and Emma ignored them completely, not even bothering to look in their direction. "Meddle in your life, Emma? Is that really what you think I'm trying to do? It's more like cleaning up your messes, and I'm getting sick of it." They were in each other's faces now, standing toe-to-toe, brows knitted, and hands on hips.   
  
"Well, David, if it's such an issue for you, why bother? Do you really think I can't take care of myself?"   
  
David laughed angrily. "Of course you can't, Emma! It's like you have a flashing neon sign on your back that says 'Assholes Welcome!' That's the only type of guy you can attract. You don't understand what guys like that can do to girls like you."   
  
"Then why don't you tell me, David? Since you seem to know _so much_ that I don't!"   
  
David closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Honestly, Emma, you can be so shortsighted and immature. Open your damned eyes for once." David's voice was getting louder, and before he could stop it, he was yelling into Emma's face. "You need to wake the hell up and realize that not every guy out there will care about you the way I do! Why else do you think Graham walked all over you like that?!"   
  
Hearing David's words, Emma's anger fell away from her face. What replaced it could only be described as a mixture of pain and shock. "Wh— what did you just say?"   
  
Mary Margaret put her face in her hands, and sighed. "Oh, David." She and Ruby looked at each other, each mirroring the other's worried expression.   
  
Emma stepped back from David, who immediately realized what he'd said, and tried to reach out for her. "Emma... I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I just—"   
  
"Stop it, David." Emma could feel a lump forming in her throat as tears started to sting the back of her eyes. "You said what you wanted to say." She paused, the lump in her throat making it difficult to speak as unshed tears began to blur her vision. "Congratulations. I finally hear you loud and clear."   
  
She walked over to the car, opening the back door and sitting behind the driver's seat, so that she wouldn't have to continue this line of discussion. The other three got into the car and David started the ignition with a sigh. Not wanting to even hear him anymore, Emma took out her phone and plugged her headphones into it in an attempt to drown him out. She and David had gotten into heated arguments before, but never like this. Mostly because they were too much alike; each too stubborn to yield to the reasoning of the other. She could feel tears starting to roll down her cheeks as she sank down in her seat, music so loud it could be heard by everybody in the car. " _Brilliant start to Senior year_." She thought to herself as they finally left the school parking lot.   
  
Once David pulled into their driveway, Emma and Ruby exited the car. Ruby said goodbye to David and Mary Margaret, as Emma leapt up from her seat and slammed the door. David watched her storm off, still upset about their argument. He sighed as he pulled out of the driveway and drove away.   
  
Emma went up to her room and closed the door behind her. She knew that she had only brought it on herself by snapping at David, but sometimes he could be so frustrating. She threw herself onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. What did she care about Killian Jones anyway? Why had she even defended him when everything that David said was true? After a little while, there was a knock on her door.   
  
"It's open."   
  
The door creaked open, and Emma sat up to see who it was. She smiled feebly when she saw that it was Granny with a plate of cookies. "Hey, kid. Heard you had a rough first day."   
  
Emma snorted. "That's a little bit of an understatement, Granny." She sat up, and made room for Granny to sit next to her. "First, I got into an fight with Graham, then I got into a full-on screaming match with David. Honestly, I probably should have just stayed home." Granny sat beside Emma, and held the plate of cookies in front of her so that she could take one. Emma shook her head, so Granny moved the plate and sat it on Emma's nightstand.   
  
"Do you want to talk about it?"   
  
As Emma smiled at Granny, she could feel the tears brimming in her eyes, and she rubbed them away before they could fall. "I'm fine." She sniffed, trying her best to smile.   
  
"You aren't. You know that you don't have to be brave for me. So, tell me: what's upsetting you, Emma? Is it David, or Graham?"   
  
She shook her head as she thought for a moment. How did Granny get so perceptive? "To be honest, it's both. When David and I were fighting, he told me that I let Graham walk all over me when we were together, and he implied that that's why Graham went around with other girls." Granny raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Oh, come on, sweetheart. You know he didn't mean it. He was probably just trying to get under your skin." She said as she put her arm around Emma, pulling her close enough for her to rest her head on Granny's shoulder. Emma sighed as she leaned in to Granny. "No, I know David. He definitely meant it. When he gets that angry he has no filter. And he immediately tried to apologize once he'd said it. If he were only trying to hurt me, he would have let it sink in."   
  
"Well, Emma, what are you going to do about it?"   
  
She shook her head again as she felt fresh tears starting to fall. "I don't know, Granny. Something about the way that he said it really hurt. The way that he threw it in my face like that. He saw a weak spot, and he jumped on it. I just can't believe he would say that to me, knowing how badly Graham messed me up."   
  
Granny sighed as she rubbed soothing circles into Emma's back. "Maybe it only hurts because you know that he could be right." Emma sat up and turned her body to face Granny. She wiped her tears with the sleeve of her shirt, and then wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "You think so?"   
  
The old woman smiled now, and looked at Emma tenderly. "I know you, Emma. The only reason you would possibly be upset about this is because you are mad you couldn't see it for yourself. So maybe, instead of being angry at David, thank him for loving you enough to say it." She patted Emma's knee as she rose from the bed, reaching for the plate of cookies. She held it in front of Emma once more. "Sure you don't want one? I baked 'em at the diner this morning."   
  
Emma smiled as she relented and took one from the plate. "Thanks, Granny. For the talk and for the cookie."   
  
Granny smiled and kissed Emma on the top of her head. "Any time, kid." She left the room and closed the door behind her.

 

 

* * *

  
  
The next morning, as opposed to going to school with Mary Margaret, Ruby, and David, Emma got up before the sun and decided to go with Granny and help her open up the diner before going to school.   
  
They left the house at 5:00, and Emma figured that she could always return home to change her clothes and put in her contacts before school. She got to help Granny wipe down the tables, and do other small chores that Granny would usually have to do on her own. She got to watch Granny bake loaves of bread, and cakes and cookies, which was something she hadn't been able to do for a while. There was something about being here with Granny that made her feel warm and happy. Emma used to help out all the time, but she couldn't remember why she'd stopped. She looked up from the glass she'd been polishing and craned her neck to see if Granny was around. "Hey, Granny?"   
  
"Yes, Emma." Granny appeared from the kitchen, apron dusted lightly with flour. The sight of Granny in work mode always made Emma smile. "Why did I stop working here?" Granny shrugged as she went back to the kitchen, talking to Emma through the window that connected it with the rest of the diner. "Uh, when did you quit again?"   
  
Emma wracked her brain for a moment, trying to remember. "I think it was tenth grade." Before Granny could even reply, Emma remembered, and instantly felt guilty.   
  
"Isn't that around the time you started dating Graham?"   
  
Yes, yes it was. Emma realized and she felt bad thinking about how she shirked her responsibilities to go run around with a boy. A boy who wasn't even worth it. "Granny, I'm sorry. It was so stupid of me to leave you hanging like that so that I could spend more time with my boyfriend." Granny reappeared, flipping the open/closed sign over and unlocking the door. "Don't sweat it, kid. You're here now. And even though I know it's just for today, I think it makes up for everything else." Granny winked playfully at her before going back to the kitchen.   
  
Emma finished polishing the glasses and decided that she ought to go back home if she was going to have enough time to get ready for school. She hopped off of her stool at the bar and walked around it to find Granny in the kitchen. "Granny, I'm gonna go home and change now. I'll see you after school." Granny didn't bother to look up from the dough she was kneading when she replied. "Alright, Emma. See you then."   
  
Emma felt content as she turned to leave the kitchen, pushing through the door and back out into the dining room. She gathered her things and grabbed her keys from the counter just in time to see three familiar faces come into the restaurant. First, Jefferson Hatrick walked though the door. Well, he stumbled through the door as August Booth pushed him playfully on the back. Behind them, Killian Jones walked in with his motorcycle helmet in his hand. He even made helmet-hair look great. How was that fair? Emma sighed and made a beeline for the exit. She wasn't really looking to pick up where they'd left off yesterday. But, of course, he noticed her before she could slip by.   
  
"Swan?"   
  
Emma turned slowly to see Killian standing by a table where August and Jefferson were seated and staring back and forth between Killian and Emma.   
  
"Jones."   
  
He cocked his head to the side as he made his way over to her. "How's it going? Hold on, don't answer that." He made a show of looking around the room before returning his attention to her. "Just trying to make sure that your dear friend David isn't lurking in the shadows anywhere."   
  
Emma rolled her eyes and looked at him sternly. "About that... Look, this is not gonna be easy for me to say, so I'm only going to say it once, and you better listen up."   
  
Killian raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Alright, then."   
  
She sighed and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry about yesterday. David has a short fuse, and he gets really protective sometimes. But he had no right to manhandle you that way. So, I'm sorry."   
  
Killian's face was serious, which made her wonder what he was thinking.   
  
"You said it twice."   
  
Emma knitted her brow. "I what?"   
  
"You said it twice. You apologized twice."   
  
She rolled her eyes and made an exasperated sound. "Alright, then. On that note, I'm outta here." She had just opened the door when he called out to her.   
  
"Oh, and Swan?"   
  
She sighed and turned around to face him. "Yes?"   
  
"You look great in glasses."

 

 

* * *

  
  
It had been a while since Emma had last spoken to David or Graham. She avoided both of them during the day, and got rides to and from school by taking the bus. She hated taking the bus, but she just wasn't ready to talk to David about their fight. It was almost kind of funny: talking to Graham only reminded her of the unresolved issues with David, while talking to David only reminded her of how badly Graham had treated her.   
  
She got out of her bed and went to go use the bathroom. When she returned to her room, there was a body lying under her covers. She sighed and got in next to Ruby who turned to look at her.   
  
"What is it, Ruby?" Ruby sighed as she sat up and leaned her back against the headboard, her legs crisscrossed Indian style beneath her. "We miss you, Emma." Emma groaned and adjusted her glasses on her nose. "What is this 'we,' Ruby? You see me every day." Ruby sighed. "I know I do, but it's just not the same as having the four of us all together. He's really sorry, you know." Emma sat up now, moving to sit in front of Ruby in the same position. "I know he is. He's texted me at least twice a day since that first morning I took the bus." Ruby smiled sadly and leaned her elbows on her knees as she spoke.   
  
"When are you going to forgive him?"   
  
Emma chewed on her bottom lip and thought about Ruby's question. She had sorely missed being a part of the group, and only seeing Mary Margaret during English class was not good enough for her. "I guess I could talk to him today." Ruby's eyes lit up as clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, thank you, Emma!" She leapt forward and tackled Emma with a crushing bear hug. She jumped up and down on the bed a few times before bouncing off and scurrying out of the room.   
  
Emma rolled over, reaching for her cell phone on the nightstand. She opened up her text messages, and scrolled through her recent conversations, looking for David. She found him and sat with the phone in her hand for a few minutes, trying to think of something to say. She looked at the time, and saw that it was still pretty early. It was 10:03, which was early by weekend standards— especially for David, who was a late and heavy sleeper.   
  
Deciding to roll the dice, she typed out a careful message:   
  
** Hi.   
**   
She wanted to laugh at herself for making such a big deal out of one little word, but she hadn't spoken to David in almost two weeks. This wasa big deal. A minute or two later, her phone chirped at an incoming message. She held her breath and looked at the screen. It was David.   
_   
Hey, Emma.    
_   
She felt like she needed to lighten the mood, to let him know that she wasn't angry, so she made a joke.   
  
** Wow, I'm surprised. David Nolan is actually up before noon on a Saturday? Are you feeling alright?   
**   
Another chirp, which meant another text.   
  
_ Yup. You need something?   
_   
Emma cringed at his text and wondered what was wrong with him.   
**   
God, David. I'm trying to tell you that I miss you. What's the matter with you?   
** _   
What's the matter with me? Did I seem a little on edge? Maybe it has something to do with being ignored by my best friend for the past TWELVE DAYS.   
_   
** David, you can be such a drama queen. I don't want to fight with you anymore. Especially not over text messages. Can I see you?   
_   
_ ** _ What time?   
_ **   
Now. Meet me at home?   
  
I'll be there in five.   
**   
Emma sighed as she rose from the bed again. She went to the closet and put a sweatshirt on over the tee shirt she had been sleeping in. She didn't bother to change out of her pajama pants, since it was nothing he hadn't seen before. She walked over to the mirror and brushed her unruly curls into a ponytail.   
  
She went to the kitchen to see what, if anything, there was to have for breakfast. She had just poured the milk over her cereal when the doorbell rang. She walked over to it and opened it to find David standing on her porch, wearing a denim jacket over a tee shirt, and his pajama pants. Emma opened the door wider and motioned for him to come inside.   
  
After he'd come in, she watched him walk through the house before shrugging out of his jacket and draping it over the arm of the couch. He then walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl, pouring cereal and milk into it as he waited for her to speak. He walked over to the table and sat down without grabbing a spoon. He remembered and went back into the kitchen to get one. Emma stopped him before he could open the drawer.   
  
"Uh, hello? I didn't ask you over here so that I could watch you eat breakfast, David."   
  
He folded his arms across his chest and looked down at her. "Okay then. What'd you call me here for? So that I could throw myself down at your feet and beg for forgiveness?" Emma scoffed at the tone in his voice and pushed her glasses further up her nose. "Really, David? Is that what you think I want?"   
  
He looked at her sternly for a few moments before he raked his hand through his hair and sighed. "No, Emma. I just— I hate it when we fight." She looked at him and saw the anguish on his face, and felt bad knowing that she was the cause of it. She opened her arms and wrapped them around his waist, resting her head on his chest. He smiled weakly and hugged her back tightly, resting his chin on her head. 

 

"I'm sorry, Emma. I'm so sorry. I never should have jumped into your conversation with Killian. It was wrong of me to interfere. But I really don't feel bad about that. I feel bad that I brought up Graham, knowing how badly he hurt you. It was a cheap shot, and I could have been a lot nicer about it. I feel bad that I made you cry. I know how hard it is for you to be criticized, and I should've taken that into account before attacking you so personally."   
  
Emma pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes. "It's okay, David. It was all stuff that I needed to hear. I'm sorry for being such a bitch. I had every right to be angry at you for butting in, but I shouldn't have gone about it that way. It was wrong of me to egg you on and taunt you into an outburst." She paused as the barest hint of a smile graced her lips. "God, do we know how to push each other's buttons, or what?"   
  
They both laughed, and he hugged her again, swaying from side to side. "God, I missed you, Em." She hugged his waist tightly and buried her face in his chest again as her glasses dug into her nose. "I know, me too. Let's never fight like this again, okay?" David sighed contentedly and let her go, extending his hand to her. "Deal." Emma shook his hand and nodded in agreement before laughing and handing him a spoon. "Here, before your cereal gets too soggy." David grabbed it from her hand and resumed his seat at the table as Ruby came into the kitchen.   
  
"Is everything back to normal now?" Emma looked at her and nodded, which only started another excited rampage. Ruby bounced up and down before hugging Emma tightly and running to David and bending over so that she could hug him from behind as he sat at the table. "Oh, I'm so happy! Now, all we're missing is Mary Margaret."   
  
They all three laughed before Emma and Ruby joined David at the table. They ate cereal and laughed together, Ruby and David filling Emma in on everything she'd missed in the twelve days that she'd been gone. After they ate, David hung out with Emma and Ruby for a few hours before going home again. He rose to leave, and hugged both of them tightly. "We'll see you on Monday, David." Emma said as she walked him to the door. 

 

David raised his eyebrows in mock-fascination. "Oh? Was that a 'we' I heard? Will Emma Swan finally be gracing us with her presence again? And here I thought you liked taking the bus." 

 

Emma punched him in the arm and pushed him onto the porch. "Seriously, David? The bus driver doesn't even like the bus, and he gets _paid_ to be there." 

 

He laughed as he turned away and waved at her over his shoulder. "Monday it is, then. Love you." 

 

Emma smiled. "Love you, too." She called back as he hopped in his car and drove away.   
  
Emma closed the door and looked at the clock on her phone. It was 1:17. She rejoined Ruby, who was sitting on one end of the couch in the living room. Emma sat down on the opposite end, knowing that Ruby was going to lay her head down on her knee. And once Emma sat down, Ruby leaned over and made herself comfortable. "Don't you feel ten times better now, Em?" Emma smiled. She really did feel so much lighter. "I do, but maybe not ten times, exactly. I still have to work things out with Graham."   
  
She fought the urge to cringe when she thought of the impending confrontation. She wasn't looking forward to it, but she knew that she couldn't keep avoiding him forever. Especially not when she was the one that told him that they would continue their conversation.   
  
"Why don't you just call him?" Ruby asked simply. Emma thought about it for a moment. She had honestly not thought of that. "And what am I supposed to say?"   
  
"Just ask him to come over here and talk. I'm going out with Victor in a little bit and Granny's gonna be at the diner until after the dinner rush. You'll have the house to yourself."   
  
Emma considered Ruby's proposal as she reached for her phone again. Before she even realized it, she had dialed Graham's number, and was pacing the floor as she waited anxiously for him to answer. After five rings, she heard his voice.   
  
"Hello?"   
  
Emma felt the urge to smile when she heard his voice. _Focus, Emma._ "Hey, Graham. It's me." She immediately wanted to slap herself. _Of course he knows it's you, you idiot!_ _   
_   
"Uh, yeah. What's up, Emma?"   
  
Deciding not to beat around the bush, Emma got to the point. "Do you think you could come over today? Since we never got to finish that talk?"   
  
Graham sighed and she couldn't tell if that was a good sign or a bad one.   
  
"Honestly, I was beginning to think that you were avoiding me. We last talked like, two weeks ago."   
  
Emma decided to sidestep the whole "avoidance" comment and pretended not to have noticed it. "Two weeks? Wow, sorry about that."   
  
Graham laughed, and even over the phone, Emma could tell that it sounded a little self-conscious. "It's alright. What time should I come over?" Emma pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the clock. It was 1:21.   
  
"Uh, how does 2:30 sound?" Graham was silent for a moment before answering. "Sounds great, see you then."   
  
"Alright, Graham. Bye."   
  
Emma hung up the phone and turned to look at Ruby, who she'd actually forgotten was in the room.   
  
"See, Emma? That wasn't hard at all, now, was it?" Ruby asked, patting the couch where Emma had been sitting.   
  
Emma threw herself down, her head falling against the upholstery. "Yeah, the hard part hasn't come yet; that's what I'm dreading."   
  
Ruby shook her head as she rose from the couch. "Oh, stop it. You'll be fine. I'm gonna get ready to go out."   
  
After Ruby had dressed and left for her outing, Emma finally decided that she needed to make herself presentable before Graham arrived. She hurried up to her room and put on a pair of jeans and a Beatles tee shirt. She straightened her hair, and then put in her contacts. She looked in the mirror at herself, and noticed a stain on the front of her shirt. She frantically searched for another one, settling for a black and gray striped tee she found at the bottom of her closet.   
  
She went back downstairs and was only waiting for a few minutes before the doorbell rang. Graham was standing on the porch when she opened the door, looking nervous with his hands in his pockets. "Hey."   
  
Emma smiled at him and opened the door wider so that he could enter. "Hey, Graham." She lead him into the living room and sat down on one end of the couch, while Graham sat on the other. She turned to face him, moving her legs so that they were crisscrossed Indian style beneath her.   
  
"Okay. Since I did all the talking last time, I think you should start."   
  
Graham sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Truth is, Emma, I don't really know what to say. All those things you said to me in the library were true. When I broke up with you, I should have been honest. There was no real reason for me to lie to you aside from trying to save my own ass. And I apologize for that. Knowing how much I hurt you has been torturing me these last few weeks. You've been on my mind nonstop and I felt even worse when you started avoiding me."   
  
Emma's breath hitched in her throat when she heard the melancholy tone in his voice. "I'm sorry about that, Graham. I just... had a lot of stuff going on."   
  
"No, it's fine. I deserved that and more for the way that I treated you. I'm so sorry, Emma. For breaking up with you, for leaving you, for the other girls, for everything. If I could, I would take it all back." Emma could hear a lump forming in his throat as his voice started to tighten. "I don't often regret anything, but I really and honestly regret the way that we left things, and if I could take it back, please know that I would."   
  
Emma had looked away when he mentioned the other girls. She hated the fact that he brought it up, even though he was apologizing for it. She couldn't bare the thought of him with anybody else, hearing him say those words felt like a knife through her heart. She noticed that he'd stopped talking, and looked at him. He wasn't looking at her, but she could see that his eyes were watery, and there was a trail of wetness that went from his eye down to his cheek. Their eyes met, and Emma could feel a tear rolling down her face. She quickly brushed it away, and hoped that he hadn't seen it.   
  
He reached out his hand, and she took it, lacing their fingers together. "I know you would, Graham. But if we try again, I don't want to feel like I can't trust you."   
  
He shook his head, and wiped at the tears that continued to fall. "Emma, if you took me back, I would never let you regret it. I promise. I'd do anything to prove that to you. To regain your trust." He kissed the back of her hand as he moved closer to her on the couch. "Please, Emma."   
  
She looked away again, trying to stop the tears that were threatening to cloud her judgement. "It won't be that easy, Graham. And I don't know if things could ever go back to being the way they were."   
  
He sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. "I know that, Emma. I do. But I'm willing to try."   
  
She tried to smile and wiped her face again. "Me too."   
  
Graham almost hadn't heard her, since her voice had gone weak from trying to hold back her tears. But as soon as she'd said those two words, he smiled at her. He jumped up off of the couch and pulled her into his arms. "Thank you, Emma. Thank you, thank you, thank you."   
  
She pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes, wiping his tears away with her thumbs when she rested her hands on the sides of his face. "I love you, Graham."   
  
He kissed her, holding her close as he moved his mouth down her jaw and neck as he whispered. "I love you, too."   
  
Emma hugged him again, trying to focus more on the butterflies in her stomach and less on the voice in her head that seemed to be repeating the same phrase:   
_   
"Please, don't let me regret this." _


End file.
